


We're With You, Greenie

by newtmasandthings



Series: We're With You, Greenie [1]
Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Character Death, Crying, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Happy things I swear, I swear, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Panic Attacks, Please don't think this is just a depressing story because it's not, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-09
Updated: 2015-11-23
Packaged: 2018-04-30 20:14:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5178197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/newtmasandthings/pseuds/newtmasandthings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part 1 of the series covers Thomas and Teresa's senior year of high school.<br/>Part 2 of the series covers everything after that year, so please read both parts to get the complete story!</p>
<p>Thomas and Teresa, twins and best friends, move to Glade High School their senior year and meet the Gladers. Thomas meets the love of his life and, through difficult adjustments and relentless pain, he learns to accept what life throws at him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Greenie's First Day

He stepped out of his mother’s car onto the sidewalk outside his new school. Today was his first say at Glade High School and he was nervous. His family had moved from across the country because of his mother’s job and he had hated the idea, but what could he do? He was just a kid. Teresa followed him out of the car and they waved goodbye to their mother, who wished them good luck and blew kisses at them. Thomas wore a light blue, cloth shirt and jeans. Did he look boring?

“You ready, Tom?” his sister asked calmly.

Ready? Of course he wasn’t ready! He didn’t know anyone and he knew he wasn’t going to make any friends. He was going to be just as lonely as he was at their old school. But at least he had his sister, his twin, his best friend.

“Hell yeah,” he replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Off they went, up the front steps and into Glade High. His first class was Environmental Science and he internally cringed when he saw it on his schedule. Thomas was only good at English and History, not Science, and especially not Math. Of course, he had already been separated from Teresa, who had Psychology first. As he entered the nearly empty classroom, his nerves seemed to calm a little. Luckily, they had moved at the end of the summer, so they were not forced to come to a new school in the middle of the semester. All of this stuff was going to be new for everyone else, too, but the only difference was that everyone else had friends.

Slowly, students piled into the classroom. Most of the students avoided him by keeping at least two rows away from him, but at long last someone sat next to him. He was a dark-skinned boy with large shoulders and a bald head. An Asian boy walked into the classroom shortly after and sat behind the former boy, followed by three other boys, a short-haired girl and finally, a blond boy, who sat right behind Thomas.

“Hello, Greenie,” the first boy greeted. At first, Thomas didn’t realize he had spoken directly to him, but when he looked over, he was looking at him, a smile plastered on his face. “Oh, hey,” Thomas mumbled nervously. “You looked a little lonely over here by yourself,” the other said. “We’re your welcoming committee. I’m Alby.” He stuck out his hand and Thomas shook it, feeling better already.

“Thomas,” he replied, mustering up the courage to make eye contact. “My family just moved here a couple weeks ago.”

“You alone here, Thomas?” Alby asked. “No, my sister, Teresa, is here, too. She’s my age; we’re twins.”

“Twins, huh?” the Asian boy commented. “I’m Minho, hottest man you’ll ever meet.” Alby whacked Minho in the back of the head and Thomas managed a small chuckle.

“Sorry about him,” Alby laughed. “Yeah, that’s Minho. And that’s Gally and Winston and Frypan and Brenda. And that’s – “

“I’m Newt,” the boy who sat behind Thomas said in a British accent. His smile lit up the room. “Nice to meet you, Thomas.”

“I hope this isn’t overwhelming you,” Alby added. “We just want you to feel at home.”

“No, Alby, this is great, really,” Thomas replied happily. Was he already gaining friends? That would already make him have more friends than he ever had at home. Thomas wondered how Teresa was getting along, but then Minho started talking to him and he decided he really didn’t need to worry; she had always been better at this stuff.

At lunch, Alby pulled up a chair for Thomas and he sat with all the boys from his first class. Apparently, they had most of their classes together, which made Thomas feel more comfortable.

“Looks like the Gladers have actually welcomed a Greenie into their inner circle,” a boy commented as he walked past.

“Gladers?” Thomas questioned innocently.

“Oh, yeah,” Alby laughed. “We all live in Glade Village, except for you and Newt, of course, and that’s why we’ve been friends forever. Our grandparents built this school and basically this whole area. Everyone thinks we’re too pretentious to be friends with anyone else, but that obviously isn’t the case.”

“Yeah, how could we resist that adorable accent?” Minho joked, pinching Newt’s cheek. Eventually, Teresa walked in and Thomas waved her over. She was walking with a couple of boys.

“Guys, this is my sister,” Thomas announced.

“Hey!” the table erupted. Teresa beamed at them, then at Thomas. He could tell she was proud of him for already making so many friends. At the same time, he sensed her pity and a tinge of annoyance fell upon him.

“I see she’s met Ben and Winston,” Frypan commented excitedly.

“Looks like we’re gonna be expanding our table,” Alby gladly announced. Everyone laughed, except for Gally, but apparently he didn’t have much of a sense of humor. Thomas didn’t seem to like him so much, but he couldn’t risk earning enemies on his first day.

Thomas called his mom after school and told her that him and Teresa would walk home, and that they were going to hang out with some friends from school. Their mother reluctantly said it was okay, but told them not to be home too late and to be careful. The twins promised in their sweetest tones and hung up the phone quickly.

“We’re going to our favorite place,” Alby said as the group walked out of the school.

“We don’t show just anyone this place,” Minho added. “So you shanks better feel lucky.” They walked a couple miles down the road, then turned onto a gravel road that went on for about a mile. Thomas thought he should have been out of breath by that point, especially in the summer heat, but he was too excited to be uncomfortable. At one point, he looked over and noticed that Newt was limping. The blond was holding a conversation with Frypan and the latter didn’t mention it, so Thomas assumed it wasn’t a recent thing. He decided to push it out of his mind and ask later. Eventually, they came to a large wooded area with a large, worn wooden sign at the entrance. Thomas couldn’t make out what the old sign said, but he didn’t think it was anything to worry about. They walked deep into the woods and came to a shelter house with stone walls and several wooden picnic tables settled on the concrete floor.

“This place used to be a park,” Ben explained. “But it got ignored because nobody ever came to it, so now there’s just a bunch of shelter houses in this big forest thing.”

“It’s awesome!” Teresa whispered to her brother. Thomas grinned and set his backpack down on one of the tables. He watched as most of the group went outside and started throwing footballs and Frisbees. Teresa went to join them and Thomas was left sitting at a picnic table with Newt.

“So, Tommy, you like it here?” Newt asked sincerely. Thomas nodded.

“It’s beautiful,” he breathed. He looked at Newt, who smiled at him for a long time, then looked away. He found himself glancing at the blond’s lips, so he spoke up. “So, erm, you’re British. What are you doing here?”

“My father’s a twat,” Newt answered bluntly. “Mum realized there were better opportunities for us here, so we flew over about three years ago.”

“Do you miss home?”

“This is my home, Tommy,” Newt corrected sweetly, looking back at the brunet, leaning back against the table. “Moving here was the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

“How so?”

“Well, Mum’s happy. That’s important,” the blond began. “I met these shuck heads, we have more money here, and more amazing people keep coming into my life than they ever did in England.” Thomas blushed and looked back out toward their group of friends. Teresa had just dived to catch the football and she slipped in a muddy spot. Now, she was laughing her head off.

“I like it here,” Thomas said stupidly.

Newt laughed and grasped Thomas’s shoulder.

“I hope you do, Greenie,” he agreed. “Because I think here likes you.”

“What does that m – “

Suddenly, the football slammed into the bags on the table, causing a loud bang and startling the two boys.

“Aye, watch out!” Minho called, chuckling. “Stop being lazy and get your asses out here!”

As soon and Thomas and Teresa got home, they were bombarded by questions from their parents. How was school? You met friends, I hear? How old are they? Were they nice to you? Are your classes hard? Do you like the teachers? How much homework do you have? The twins answered the questions patiently, but they were exhausted. After dinner, they both showered and retired to their rooms.

Thomas thought over every second of the day, replaying and slowing down every moment that made him smile. He liked his new friends. Alby, who acted as the leader, was so nice and Minho was so cool, even if he was a smartass. And Newt was, well, interesting to say the least. Their talk in the shelter house made him feel like he’d known the blond for years.

As he closed his eyes that night, Thomas honestly could not wait for school the next day.


	2. Newt Kills a Spider

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt kills a spider and Thomas cries

The next few weeks went on wonderfully. Thomas finally had a group of friends that he wasn’t afraid to laugh around. They made it so easy for him to feel like he belonged. Teresa even seemed happier, like that was possible.  
“I can’t believe fall is going by so fast,” Thomas murmured.  
“Time for Thanksgiving!” Winston exclaimed and the group erupted in whoops and hollers.  
“But first,” Teresa interrupted. “Halloween.” The group muttered agreements, but they didn’t seem too excited.  
“What’s wrong with Halloween?” Thomas asked. “It’s Teresa’s favorite holiday!”  
“We just never seem to do anything very fun on Halloween,” Newt explained. “We’re too old for trick-or-treating, so what else is there to do?”  
“I guess you’ll see soon enough,” Teresa purred with a mischievous smirk. 

After school, Thomas was standing outside waiting for Teresa to get done with whatever was holding her up. Newt approached him and it seemed to brighten Thomas’s day.  
“Hey, Tommy,” the blond greeted with a smile. He seemed nervous.  
“Hey, Newt, what’s up?”  
“You still liking it here?”  
“Of course,” Thomas replied with a lazy smile. “God, you guys make me feel so – “  
Newt was looking at him with a smile. It wasn’t just a normal smile; it was almost a fond smile. His gorgeous brown eyes shone in the afternoon sun.  
“So what, Tommy?”  
“Uh, welcome. So welcome.” Newt laughed and stepped closer to Thomas.  
“Listen, I know this is an odd request,” he began, making Thomas nervous. What was he going to ask of him? “I actually need tutoring.” Tutoring? Really? “In History.”  
“Uh – of – of course!” Thomas exclaimed. “I can tutor you, Newt. No problem. When do you want to, er, do that?”  
“How about today?” Newt suggested with a lopsided smile. Thomas smiled and told Newt to follow him to his house. 

“Newt, this is my mom. Mom, this is my friend, Newt,” Thomas introduced as they walked into his house.  
“Thomas!” Teresa screeched from behind them. “You left me at school alone, you idiot!”  
“Uh, nice to meet you, Newt,” the twins’ mother interjected politely.  
“Teresa, I’m so sorry,” Thomas whispered. “Newt asked about tutoring and – “  
“Oh,” she interrupted with a smile. “Say no more, Tom. It’s perfectly okay.” She winked at him and walked upstairs.  
“Um, anyways, Mom, we’re gonna be upstairs in my room if you need us,” Thomas confirmed. His mom nodded and Thomas led Newt up to his bedroom.  
They pretended to study for over an hour. Thomas rambled on about the chapter they were covering at the moment and Newt pretended to listen. Eventually, they grew lazy. Books were haphazardly dropped off the bed and the boys sprawled out, making sure not to make any physical contact with each other.  
“What do your parents do?” Newt asked after a long period of silence.  
“Dad got a job at the WCKD plant when we moved here. Mom’s a lawyer. She got moved here because the people involved moved. It’s a weird situation, but I’m done questioning it.”  
“Why’s that?”  
“I like it here too much.” Thomas looked at Newt, and Newt looked at Thomas. They gazed into each other’s eyes and Thomas damn near got lost in the beautiful brown. His eyes traveled down to the blond’s lips, then shot back up. What was he thinking? Thomas wasn’t gay. He knew himself, didn’t he?  
“I’m glad, Tommy. Here likes you, too.”  
“What – “  
“Tom!” Teresa screamed from her bedroom. Thomas bolted out of his room in a second, nearly breaking down Teresa’s door. Teresa was standing on her bed, screaming at the top of her lungs at the huge spider that was crawling along the hard wood floor.  
“Really?” he asked incredulously.  
“Kill it, Tom, you know I can’t handle spiders!” Thomas sighed and slowly made his way toward the spider. God, that thing was big. As he made his way over, he picked up one of his sister’s tennis shoes. Teresa stomped around on her mattress, making a panicky, high-pitched whine as she did so. Thomas moved closer still, but fear had begun to prickle at the top of his spine and then he realized, he was also terrified as spiders.  
“What’s going on in here?” Newt asked, hurrying in behind Thomas.  
“Spider!”  
“Got it, Tommy?” the blond asked teasingly. “I can do it if you – “  
“I got it, Newt, thanks!” Thomas stressed, stepping yet closer to the arachnid tyrant. He didn’t have it. He couldn’t kill this stupid spider; he was too scared. Newt seemed to catch on to this, so he reached around and gently grabbed the shoe from Thomas. Then, he rested his hand on Thomas’s waist to easily move him aside. Finally, the shoe was dropped on the spider and the dramatic event came to a close.  
“Got it,” Newt whispered in the brunet’s ear.  
“Thank you so much, Newt,” Teresa sighed, relaxing back to a sitting position. “I hate spiders.”  
“Apparently, so do I,” Thomas muttered. Embarrassed, he walked back to his room and slumped down on the bed. Really, a spider got the best of him?  
“Tommy,” Newt said, shutting the bedroom door with his foot. “What’s wrong?”  
“Nothing,” Thomas grumbled. Newt laughed and approached him.  
“Come on, why the pout?” Newt asked, ruffling his hair. Thomas was losing control and he knew it. He couldn’t deny it anymore. But he couldn’t admit it to Newt.  
“It’s getting late; don’t you think?” Thomas asked harshly. Newt squinted his eyes and backed up.  
“Do you want me to leave, Tommy? Is that what you’re saying?” Thomas shrugged and Newt nodded. He gathered his things and left quietly.  
Teresa came in a few minutes later. At the sight of her, tears gathered in his eyes.  
“Tom, you alright?” she asked worriedly.  
“Teresa, I think I’m gay.” He had barely gotten the words out when he burst into tears. Teresa ran over and hugged him tight, trying to shush him.  
“Talk to me, Tom.” Thomas sniffled and began.  
“I don’t know, I just, I’ve been feeling different. I mean, I never had girlfriends, so I guess it makes sense, but – God, what am I doing?”  
“What are you saying?” Teresa asked quietly.  
“It’s Newt,” Thomas sobbed, rocking back and forth. “I have…feelings for Newt.” Teresa grasped his hands tightly and smiled at him.  
“Tom, there is nothing wrong with your feelings, or with you at all,” she said lovingly. “There is absolutely nothing wrong with you, I hope you know that.” Thomas nodded, trying to return his breathing to normal. Teresa stared at him calmly and rubbed his back. After several minutes, she spoke up again. “Does Newt know?” Thomas shook his head.  
“I think I’m just going to wait it out and see if these feelings stay or go away,” Thomas explained almost calmly. “You know, I’m just scared. I still don’t know myself completely and that’s scary.”  
“Well, we are only eighteen,” his sister placated. “We’re not really supposed to completely know ourselves yet.” Thomas just nodded and laid his head on Teresa’s shoulder. “You’re gonna be okay, Tom. I know it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are still enjoying this!  
> So basically Thomas now realizes that he has feelings for Newt after Newt kills a spider for him and Thomas is upset because he's not self-aware at all and Teresa is an amazing sister and not judgmental at all. There is way more to come from here!  
> Thank you to everyone who has read it and for the kudos! I really appreciate it all! :)


	3. The Gladers Celebrate Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas is still dealing with his feelings for Newt and Teresa throws a Halloween party in the woods.

A month passed and Thomas dealt with his feelings the best he could. Every day, it got harder to keep his eyes and mind off Newt. He was always with him and all the other boys, which made it hard to ignore the beautiful boy. He began talking to Teresa more, every time they were alone. When they weren’t, he was left to be tortured by his thoughts. All he could do was the best he could muster, and so that’s what he did.

“Okay, Tom,” Teresa asked as she barged into his room the morning of Halloween. “I’m skipping school today so I can set everything up and make sure it’s perfect for tonight.”

“Sounds good,” he muttered as pulled on a soft t-shirt.

“Are you going to be okay?” she asked worriedly, leaning against the doorway. “How are things with Newt?”

“I’ll be fine,” Thomas sighed. She asked him nearly every day now. “Don’t worry about it, okay? Today is your favorite day of the year.”

“Okay,” she hesitantly replied. “Call me if you need me though.”

Thomas waved her off and left for school.

“So, how about the woods tonight?” Thomas suggested as soon as he walked into class. The group looked at him, stunned.

“Why so adamant, Greenie?” Minho asked.

“Because it’s Halloween and I think we should go to the woods tonight,” Thomas snarked. He glanced over to see Newt hiding an adorable smile.

“Alright, Thomas,” Brenda agreed, squinting at him suspiciously. “We’ll be there. What time?”

“How about seven?”

“I don’t trust you, shank,” Gally snapped. Newt leaned back in his seat and rolled his eyes.

“That’s great, Gally, then you don’t have to go,” Thomas snapped back, sitting in his own seat.He was tired of Gally always deciding not to trust him, and it didn’t help that his best friend wasn’t here to help him out. He was going to be especially irritable today.

“Is seven okay with everyone else?” Alby asked the rest of the group. The Gladers nodded and Alby shot Thomas an apologetic smile. That was easy enough, but now he just needed to get through the rest of the day.

“Oh, and don’t wear a costume.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Seven o’clock came faster than he thought it would and at that time, he found himself waiting at the end of the lane for all of the boys to show up. It was a Friday night, so he knew nothing would be getting in their way of the plan. Finally, he saw the group walking up and he lit the torch he had in his hand. His friends whooped in excitement as they got closer.

“So, Greenie, what’s the plan?” Ben asked with a big smile. Thomas made eye contact with Newt, who smiled.

“Follow me.”

He held the torch high and led his friends down the gravel road into the woods. As they approached their spot, he began to hear whisperings and his excitement built. When they finally reached it, amazed “whoa”’s flowed through the group. Teresa had outdone herself. Hundreds of tiny pumpkin string lights were hung on the surrounding trees, causing an orange glow in a circular perimeter. The tables had been moved outside and each one had a jack – o – lantern and a cauldron filled with ice and bottled drinks sitting on top. Music played at a low volume and the smell of pizza filled the air. Teresa came around the corner of the shelter house, welcomed by applause.

“Teresa,” Brenda sighed. “This is amazing!”

"How the bloody hell did you pull this off?” Newt exclaimed.

“It’s my specialty,” Teresa smiled. She must’ve been exhausted, but she looked so lively. “There’s pizza in the shelter house and drinks are on the tables. Find a seat, eat, and have fun. It’s Halloween!”

Again, the friends cheered and they hurried into the shelter house for food. Once their plates were filled, they found their places at the many picnic tables and began to eat. Thomas sat with Teresa, who asked how his day was and bothered him until he told her every detail. Suddenly, Frypan approached him.

“Hey, Greenie, this is awesome!” he complimented with a huge grin. Thomas smiled back and pointed to his sister.

“This was all her,” he said.

“Hey, you know, you don’t have to tell me, but I know you and Newt are on the outs,” the other whispered. “I just hope this doesn’t get in the way of your friendship with the rest of us. I like having you around, Greenie, and I’m sure the others will agree.” Thomas didn’t know what to say. “It’s just, Newt seems like he’s trying to distance himself from all of us now that ya’ll ain’t talking to each other, and that kinda worries me. Maybe you should try talking to him?”

“Oh, god,” Thomas muttered, his heart nearly breaking right now. “Thanks, Fry.”

He was already walking away before he finished his sentence. Newt was sitting at a picnic table by himself. He was wearing a flannel shirt and tight jeans and he looked marvelous. His face was downcast, though, and Thomas knew he was done for.

“Newt,” he said sadly, tears already starting to fall.

“Look, I’m sorry for whatever I did to offend you – “

“Newt.”

“Tommy?” Newt asked, standing up to face the brunet. When he saw the tears, he hurriedly wiped them away with his thumbs, but his hands stayed on Thomas’s face.

“Newt, I love you.”

“Oh, Tommy,” Newt whispered, and with that, he pulled Thomas to him and pressed their lips together. Thomas’s world disappeared. For those few moments, it was only him and Newt in the woods. His heart soared and chills raced down his spine. He felt electric. Unfortunately, the kiss was over too soon. Thomas soon noticed the complete silence that had surrounded him. As he looked around, he discovered everyone staring at them. No one looked mad, though. They actually looked relieved. Then, clapping started and soon all of the Gladers were applauding and cheering. He even heard a few “finally”’s.

“What the bloody hell?” Newt gasped, and that’s when Thomas realized what he had just said to the blond. He hadn’t known he had felt that way until he said it, but he most definitely meant it. He loved Newt, he really loved Newt.

“Were they waiting for this?” Thomas asked with a laugh.

“I know I was,” Newt replied quietly and they made eye contact, followed by another kiss. “I love you, too, Tommy. I thought you hated me, and it damn near broke my heart.” That statement damn near broke Thomas’s heart. He had never wanted to hurt the Brit, but he had been so afraid of his feelings that that was what he had ended up doing anyway.

The party raged on for several more hours and Thomas had more fun than he had ever had in his life. After a round of congratulations on Newt and Thomas “finally getting their heads out of their asses” – Minho’s words – the Gladers drank and played Truth or Dare and Would You Rather. Everyone began to notice some chemistry forming between Teresa and Ben. Then, someone conjured up the idea of drunk Twister, and Teresa so happened to have brought a game of Twister. The game was actually quite successful; Brenda and and Winston got so tangled it took three people to unknot them.

“Damn, the Greene siblings are getting lucky tonight!” someone exclaimed at one point, though Thomas couldn’t tell what had provoked that.

Newt and Thomas didn’t drink, but they still had plenty of fun. By the end of the party, the music had been turned up and everyone was dancing. Thomas felt so comfortable with his face hidden in the crook of Newt’s neck. Everything was going right and Thomas never wanted it to end. But, of course, it had to. Thomas cleaned everything up while Newt made sure no one wandered off into the woods alone. Once that was done, they led everyone to Thomas and Teresa’s house. Thomas knew if they could quietly sneak them into the house and upstairs and get them to sleep, then their parents would leave for work early in the morning (the only people in the world that work on Saturdays) and they would never have to know.

Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. By the time they got in the house, Thomas had thrown Teresa over his shoulder and Newt was supporting both Minho and Gally. Luckily, they had gotten Teresa and Brenda into the former’s bed and Winston and Ben passed out on the floor. Gally, Alby, Minho, and Frypan slept on Thomas’s floor, covered with blankets, while Thomas and Newt snuggled into Thomas’s bed. They fell asleep quickly. Thomas had never slept next to someone and he was relaxed at how easy it was with Newt.

Thomas woke up the next morning to an empty bed and the sound of retching. He rushed into the bathroom and found Teresa vomiting into the toilet while Newt held her hair and rubbed her back. The blond looked up when Thomas entered and smirked at him, shaking his head.

“This has been going on for fifteen minutes,” he said. “How much did she drink?”

“Too much,” the girl groaned, lying her face against the seat, obviously too sick to care. She was pale. Thomas sighed, wetting a rag and laying it on her forehead.

“Is everyone else good?” he asked, standing up.

“I think Min and Gally are taking turns in the one downstairs, actually,” Newt replied, smiling at Thomas. Thomas couldn’t help but beam at him. He was so happy.

“I guess I’ll go take care of them then,” he replied and kissed Newt good morning. Teresa moaned.

“You guys make me sick already.”

“I don’t think that’s what made you sick, love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay!!!!!  
> I hope you guys are happy! I'm sorry it took three chapters for something to finally happen, but I'm glad you guys have stuck with me for three chapters. I hope you're here for many more!


	4. Newtmas celebrates Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt and Thomas grow closer and celebrate Christmas and New Year's

Newt and Thomas spent as much time together as they could. They made googly eyes at each other in every class they had together and lunch, and after school they would go to Thomas’s house and cuddle in Thomas’s bed. They played it off as tutoring, but Teresa winked at him every chance she got. November passed by quickly. The Greene family celebrated Thanksgiving together. Before Thomas knew it, it was Christmas break.

“Newt, when did you know you were gay?” Thomas asked him. They were laying in his bed and he had his head on Newt’s chest, listening to his heartbeat.

“Well, I mean, I always had the feeling, but it was never something I really thought about much,” Newt replied. “I still don’t, really. But I think I actually knew the second I walked into the classroom on the first day of school and saw you.”

“Oh, shut up.” “No, seriously, Tommy. I knew it right then and there that I was going to end up falling for you.” Thomas blushed and nuzzled into Newt’s neck. “When did you know?”

Thomas was nervous. It was a touchy subject for him, and he was aware that Newt didn’t know that. He fidgeted with Newt’s sweater for several moments before answering.

“I realized it the first day you came over to my house,” he confessed. “I had never really thought about it, either, you know, but when it hit me I was terrified. Like, why hadn’t I noticed it before?”

“It comes to people in different ways, Tommy. There’s no wrong way to find out,” Newt comforted, ruffling Thomas’s hair. That made Thomas feel better, at least.

“Does your mom know?”

“Nope, do your parents?”

“No way. Considering I didn’t even know until, like, three months ago.”

Newt huffed out a laugh and the boys were caught in a comfortable silence for several minutes. Thomas worked his hand under Newt’s shirt and felt the blond’s warm skin. Newt kissed the top of his head and Thomas just wanted to do this for the rest of his life.

“Newt?”

“Yes, Tommy?”

“Would you ever give your father a second chance?”

Newt started and sat up, facing Thomas.

“What?” he asked quietly.

“You said your father was a twat,” Thomas replied carefully. He knew he was stepping out of Newt’s comfort zone.

“But would you ever give him a chance to redeem himself?” Newt broke eye contact for a long time, seemingly thinking, but then he looked back, his gaze stony.

“Never in this lifetime,” he affirmed. “He’s never getting my trust back.” Thomas nodded.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to strike a nerve,” he apologized, looking down at his mattress. Newt tilted his chin up and kissed him lovingly.

“You did nothing wrong,” he promised. Then, after a few seconds, “when do you plan on telling your parents?”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Mom? Dad!” Thomas called.

It was Christmas Eve and Thomas wanted to hold a family meeting. Teresa was sat on the couch next to Newt. Thomas stood in his position in front of the Christmas tree.

“You look rather ethereal, Tom,” Teresa teased, earning a snort from the blond. “What a beautiful Christmas glow, you have.”

Their parents hurried in from the kitchen and sat on the couch. They didn’t know what this meeting was about.

“Okay, so I know it’s Christmas Eve and all, but there’s something I have to tell you guys,” Thomas began nervously.

“What is it, sweetheart?” his mom asked worriedly. His father stared at him with a most concerned expression.

“Well, first off, I love it here and I’m really glad we moved here. I have more friends than I ever had before and this is the closest our family had ever been, which brings me to my next point. I – I’m gay.” His parents’ eyebrows raised, but they didn’t say anything. “And, um, Newt?” Newt stood up and joined Thomas in front of the Christmas tree, winding their fingers together. “Newt and I are together.”

“Wow,” his mom stated. Thomas had never been more scared in his life. How did they take it? The silence dragged on and Thomas thought he was going to faint. “Teresa, did you know this?” Teresa smiled and nodded.

“Well,” Thomas’s father said, standing up. Oh god, Dad, no. But then he held out his hand to Newt. “Welcome to the family, Newt. I hope our son makes you as happy and you’re making him.”

Wait, what?

“You knew?” Thomas asked, utterly flabbergasted.

“Did we act surprised enough?” his mom asked excitedly, getting up from the couch.

She came over and hugged Newt, who looked at Thomas with a shocked expression. Teresa’s jaw had dropped.

“How did you know?” Thomas exclaimed.

“Son, if you want to hide a relationship, you should probably not kiss in the middle of the living room while we’re home,” his dad answered, erupting a blush from the two boys. That was one time.

“We don’t care, honey,” his mother added. “Newt, you’re welcome in our home any time.”

“Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Greene. This means so much,” Newt said gratefully.

This was amazing. How could things get any better? Christmas was amazing. Thomas spent the whole day with his family and that night – Teresa got a new car! - , Alby had a party at his house. Cheap gifts were passed around, as were joints. They smoked and laughed and danced. It was overall a good time, and Thomas found it nearly impossible to stop kissing Newt. They brought in the New Year at Thomas and Teresa’s house, with the Gladers huddled around the television to watch the ball drop in Times Square. At one point, Newt nodded toward the front door and him and Thomas stepped out on the porch to talk.

“Everything okay, babe?” Thomas asked. Newt nodded and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s waist.

“Tommy, I am so unbelievably happy with you,” he purred.

“And I with you.”

“I never expected to meet the love of my life my senior year of high school,” Newt added. “But I am so bloody glad I did. I am so happy that I met you and that I’m with you and that you’re mine.”

“I know,” Thomas replied. “But what is this about?”

“I want you to meet my mom, Tommy.”

Thomas was ecstatic to hear this. He knew Newt was afraid of what his mother would think, so taking this step was huge. Thomas grinned and kissed his boyfriend hard. “

I would love to, Newt. I can’t wait.”

They kissed until they were shivering severely in the freezing weather and they were forced to head back inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a super happy and fluffy chapter, so I hope you love it!  
> More to come :)


	5. Valentine's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt comes out to his mother, Thomas and Teresa have a fight, and the boys go on a Valentine's Day date.

Thomas didn’t think his life could get more perfect. He was with Newt, him and Teresa were heading to the same college in the fall, his family was closer than ever, and the Gladers were his best friends. He had no worries anymore, for the first time in eighteen years, and it was a feeling he hoped would never end.

Now, him and Newt were on the way to Newt’s house. The blond had told him several times not to worry, but he had no way of knowing how Newt’s mother would react to their relationship. Not every parent was like his.

“Mum!” Newt called as they walked into the house. It was about the same size as Thomas’s and it looked around the same era. It was a beautiful house; could he say that?

Suddenly, Newt’s mother was standing in front of them. She was a small woman, short with a narrow frame. She had long, dark hair with large, dark eyes. She was intimidating, if not terrifying, but she had a beautiful smile.

“Hello, Newton,” she greeted. “Who’s your friend, honey?”

“Mum, this is Thomas,” Newt replied carefully, then he reached over and grabbed his boyfriend’s hand. “He’s my boyfriend.” Her smiled slowly dropped and she nodded.

“I see,” she muttered. “Come in here.” Without waiting, she stepped into the dining room and took a seat at the large wooden table. Newt and Thomas each took a seat. Thomas was starting to panic, but Newt rested his hand on his thigh to calm him.

“Mum?”

“Um, how long have you two been together?” she asked, folding her hands in front of her.

“Almost three months.”

“And you wait to tell me now?”

“Mum, I was worried that you wouldn’t approve,” Newt’s voice broke. He was getting upset, but Thomas wasn’t going to let that happen. He rubbed the back of Newt’s neck, not taking his eyes off the boy until his breathing went back to normal.

“It’s okay, Newt,” he whispered. Newt looked at him with a small smile. Thomas looked back to Newt’s mother, who was staring down at her hands. “Mrs. Isaacs, I know this is a different lifestyle than you expected for Newt, but it’s his lifestyle. I love him and he loves me. I just want to make him as happy as he makes me.” Mrs. Isaacs sighed and looked at Newt.

“My name is Elizabeth,” she replied quietly. “You can call me that, since we’ll be seeing more of each other. I hope my son makes you happy, Thomas.”

Valentine’s Day was a Saturday and Thomas was very excited for it. He and Newt had reservations at the nicest restaurant in town. But what was he going to wear?

“Teresa!” he called, throwing a handful of shirts out of the closet. Teresa walked in silently and sat on the bed.

“What do you need, Tom?” she asked, not a hint of a smile.

“I don’t know what to wear tonight and I’m freaking out, because I don’t want to look bad for my Valentine’s Day date with Newt.”

“Just wear a nice shirt,” she suggested, which ended up being no more than a mumble. Thomas turned to look at her; she wasn’t even making eye contact.

“Teresa, what’s wrong?”

“Do you not realize how long it’s been since you’ve even talked to me?” she immediately snapped. Thomas didn’t know what to say, so he just looked at her. “Ever since you and Newt got together it’s like you don’t even need me anymore.”

“Oh, c’mon, Teresa, really? Are you gonna be that sister?”

“So I’m just your sister now.”

“You’re crazy, you know that?” Thomas disregarded her and turned back to his closet, but then he felt a slap on the back of his head.

“Yes, I’m your sister, but I was also your best friend until you got your boyfriend!”

“So?”

“So now that means nothing?” Teresa was obviously upset, but Thomas didn’t understand why. Honestly, he didn’t have time for her nonsense; he could figure out what to wear on his own. He just shrugged, hoping that would let her know she was excused. “Thomas, talk to me!”

“No, Teresa!” he yelled. Now he was mad. “Everything was fine until today. Today, really? Pick your timing better next time you want to throw a fit for no reason, okay?” They had never fought like this, but Thomas was not going to deal with her today. He pointed to the door and Teresa left, glaring at him the whole way.

Newt showed up at his house at six and he looked amazing. He wore black jeans and a grey sweater with a white collared button-up underneath. Thomas kissed him as soon as he opened the door. Newt laughed into the kiss, his hands on Thomas’s hips.

“Hello, beautiful,” he purred in his sweet accent. Thomas smiled and kissed him again.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Newt,” he greeted, pulling the blond into a hug. They went to dinner and Thomas still felt like he was on cloud nine. It went perfectly, and afterward, they made out in Newt’s car for a while. But then it hit him: Thomas had pushed Teresa away for the first time in eighteen years. It crushed him to think if she had done that to him.

“Damn,” he grunted, running his hand through his hair.

“What’s wrong?”

“I got in a big fight with Teresa earlier,” Thomas confessed, allowing Newt to grasp his unoccupied hand. “I said things to her I would have never said before.”

“Before what?”

“Before I had someone else who loved me as much as she does,” he only realized it just as he was saying it. “God, I messed everything up.” Without a word, Newt started the car and headed back toward Thomas’s house. “What are you doing?” A few minutes later, Newt stopped in front of Thomas’s house and turned to the brunet.

“Go back in there and talk to her,” Newt ordered.

“What – no, Newt, it’s Valentine’s Day.”

“Tommy, you are the love of my life, and I am the love of yours,” the Brit said. “We have so many more days to come, but I’ve only been here for six months. Teresa has been your best friend for eighteen years. She’s your sister, and right now, she comes first. Go fix things with her.” Thomas smiled and kissed his boyfriend one last time before running into his house.

He found Teresa lying on her bed in the dark. She looked up when he came in, but she turned onto her side without saying a word. Thomas strolled over and sat next to her bed. She glared at him and he noticed a tear rolling across her nose.

“You’re my best friend,” he said quietly. It broke his heart to see his sister like this, and it hurt even more knowing he had caused it. “I still need you.”

“You sure about that?” she choked out.

“Newt is my boyfriend, but you are my sister. And I still love you a tiny bit more than I love him. But just a tiny bit.” Teresa laughed and punched him in the arm. “Forgive me?”

“Of course,” she replied, sitting up. “Is he here?”

“Nope, just you and me. Now, let’s go watch that horrible ‘Valentine’s Day’ movie and make fun of it the whole time.”

“The one with Taylor Swift?” she asked as she got off the bed.

“Duh! Now come on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a little angst between Thomas and Teresa, but I made sure to resolve it quickly!   
> Also the outfits I described are from actual pictures I looked up of Dylan O'Brien and Thomas Sangster and they are total cuties.  
> I'm sorry I haven't posted in a few days! It's the weekend and I was busy getting my first tattoo and going out of town!   
> But I'm back and so excited to keep going with this story.  
> I love you guys! :)


	6. Prom Night!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt, Thomas, Ben, and Teresa go to prom and have the night of their lives!

Prom night: the second most important event of senior year (the first being graduation, of course). Thomas was so excited he hadn’t even slept the night before. But he was also nervous to reveal his relationship with Newt to the public.

“Teresa? I know you’re getting ready, but can we talk for a second?”

“Sure, Tom, what’s up?” She was curling her hair in the bathroom, still in her pajamas.

“I think I’m scared about what people are going to think,” he admitted, leaning against the wall. “I mean, I love Newt, but this is a big statement and I don’t do big statements.”

“Thomas,” Teresa sighed, looking into his eyes. “Don’t you ever be afraid of who you are. Yourself is the best you, you can be, don’t you ever forget that.”

“Okay.”

“You walk into prom tonight and show everyone the love you and Newt share.”

“Thanks so much.”

“Get out of here. This bathroom is too small and I still have a lot of things to do in very little time!”

Now, his father was tying his tie and brushing any stray hair off his tux. He was nearly jumping up and down and his mother had to keep telling him to stay still. About an hour later, Newt and Ben showed up. Newt was wearing a cream-colored tux with a thin white button-down and a cream bowtie. Thomas was breathless when he saw him.

“Are you ready, Tommy?”

“Yes, a thousand times yes,” Thomas sighed, kissing his boyfriend. The sound of high heels on stairs filled the air and they all looked up to see Teresa walking down. She had a beautiful eggshell dress on with white flowers dotted all over it. Her hair flowed down her back and her lips were painted bright red. The look on Ben’s face showed it: he had officially fallen for Teresa Greene.

“Hello, boys,” Teresa voiced. “Ready to party?”

Prom was crazy, overwhelming. The music was nearly bursting Thomas’s eardrums and he felt the bass beating in his stomach. But he was here with Newt and nothing could ruin his night, so they danced. They danced for two hours straight with no care in the world other than making sure they had the time of their lives. The boys had to shed their jackets because they had begun to sweat mercilessly and Teresa pulled her hair up, no longer caring if she looked good. At the end, a slow song came on – “Never Let Me Go” by Florence + the Machine – and the couples locked together and began to sway.

“This night,” Thomas breathed. “It’s been so amazing.” Newt kissed him slowly and passionately. They stumbled for a moment and they giggled; Newt had done his best not to let his limp get in the way of dancing.

“I love you so much, Tommy,” he sighed, pressing their foreheads together. A camera flashed near them, but they didn’t pay much attention. They moved and turned to the beat of the song, Thomas lying his head against Newt’s shoulder. This had to be Heaven; Thomas never wanted this to end. This was the happiest moment of his life.

“Newt,” he said, lifting his head to look into the beautiful brown eyes. “I want to be with you forever.”

“Well, that’s my plan, love,” Newt replied smoothly. “Didn’t you know?” In that moment, Thomas knew he was in deep. He knew he would love this man forever and there was nothing that would stop that. Then, they kissed again, harder this time, more urgent.

“Babe, what happened to your leg?” Thomas asked, finally finding the courage to ask.

“Oh, nothing,” Newt answered calmly. “Just got a bad one.” They laughed, falling into a kiss again.

After prom, they sat in Newt’s car, kissing and touching and breathing. Thomas knew where he wanted this to go, but he didn’t know how Newt felt about it.

“Tommy,” Newt panted. “have you ever – “

“No, no I haven’t.”

“Do you want to – “

“Yes, yes I do.”

Newt instantly sat up to start the car, but Teresa knocked on the window, so Thomas rolled it down.

“What’s the plan for you guys?” she asked loudly. Thomas tried to give her a look, but obviously the whole “twin telepathy” thing was bullshit.

“We’re gonna, uhm, Teresa…” Thomas stammered. Teresa shook her head, but then clarity filled her eyes and she nodded vigorously.

“Oh! Well have fun!” she exclaimed, leaning down to kiss her brother on the cheek and whispering “And be safe. I love you.”

They sped to Newt’s house. His mother had gone on a business trip or something, so they had the house to themselves, but all they cared about was the bedroom. They hurried upstairs, hands clasped tight. They stepped into Newt’s room and gently shut the door. Thomas quickly unbuttoned Newt’s shirt and pulled it off of him, then he sat on the edge of the bed. Newt knelt down to do the same thing to Thomas. When he pulled off the brunet’s shirt, his hands instantly began to explore his torso.

“God, Tommy,” he moaned. “You’re stunning.” Thomas pulled him up into a rough kiss and they both ended up lying on the soft mattress. Pants, shoes, and socks were pulled off until they were left to the final cotton layer. Newt climbed on top and easily pulled Thomas’s boxers off and threw them into the pile on the floor.

Newt kissed his lips, his cheeks, his forehead, even his nose, Then, he moved down to his neck, his collarbone. He left sweet little marks on Thomas’s chest. He kissed both of his hip bones, then he grabbed Thomas’s hands and kissed every single knuckle, then he looked Thomas straight in the eyes.

“Are you ready?” he whispered. Thomas bit his lip and nodded. He was nervous, but only because he didn’t want to embarrass himself. He was completely comfortable with Newt, and he knew Newt was completely comfortable with him. Thomas didn’t want to have his first time with anyone else on the entire planet. Newt was perfection, he was an angel. His angel smiled at him and pressed one more kiss to his thigh before their big night began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter made me so happy while I was writing it, so I hope it made you happy too!  
> Get ready for the next chapter, though, because it's not this happy...  
> Feel free to leave comments!  
> I love you guys! :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas experiences the first drastic change in his life

“Thomas!” Teresa squealed as she ran into his room. He was still laying in bed, but he feigned interest by sitting up. “Ben asked me out on a date for tonight!”

“Oh, that’s awesome!” he exclaimed. He really was excited now; it had taken Ben forever to work up the courage.

“Ugh, I’m so glad we moved here and that we made friends and that our lives our great,” Teresa orated, squeezing her tired brother in a hug. “Really, Tom, I’m so proud of you.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m no longer a loner, I get it,” Thomas grumbled. Teresa’s words sometimes dripped with pity. She squealed one more time before running out of the room, allowing Thomas to flop back down on his bed.

Thomas didn’t really do much all day; Newt was out with his mother, so he just read and watched TV. Eventually, around seven o’clock, Teresa came downstairs. She wore a short, loose black dress with black pantyhose under and casual high heels.

“Does this look okay?” she yelled, because her parents were in the kitchen fixing dinner. They came out and nodded. “I feel like I’m gonna get cold.”

“Here,” Thomas took one of his sweaters – grey and white stripes – off the coat rack and threw it at her.

“This is perfect,” she said, pulling it on and spinning around. “You don’t mind me borrowing it?”

“Nah,” he replied. “Just take it off if you do anything gross with Ben.” That earned a punch from Teresa, but it was followed by a hug. “Have fun tonight, okay? Say hey to Ben for me.”

“I will,” she promised. There was a knock on the door. “That’s Ben. I’ll probably be back around midnight. Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad! Bye, Tom.” She kissed him on the cheek as she started to walk out.

“Alright, love you.”

“Love you!”

\----------------------------------------------

Thomas had fallen asleep on the couch, but it was still dark when his mother shook him awake.

“Sweetie,” she whispered. She sounded panicky. “Thomas, we have to go to the hospital. Come on, get up, please.” Without question, he shot up and was ushered into the car by his father. He fell back asleep on the way there, but walking into the fluorescent light of the hospital woke him up immediately.

“What’s going on?” he asked. Why were they here? Where was Teresa?

“Your sister was in an accident,” his father answered. “Stay here.” Thomas sat down in a lumpy waiting room chair while his parents went up to the desk. What the hell was going on? This wasn’t right; nothing happened to Teresa. What time was it?

“You can’t see her right now,” he heard the nurse at the desk say. “She is in surgery.”

Thomas had left his phone at home, so he couldn’t call Newt. All he could do was sit there with his parents until they learned something new. His mother cried and his father sat, silent with his legs crossed. Thomas paced, shaking his hands out and rubbing his neck every few minutes. Suddenly, he remembered something: Ben. He ran up to the desk.

“Excuse me, I need to know the status on Ben..” God, what was Ben’s last name? He knew it, but he had so much on his mind! “Abrams! Ben Abrams, how is he?” The nurse looked at him oddly while she typed the name into her computer.

“Mr. Abrams is on the second floor. Would you like to see him?” The boy nodded vigorously and followed her to the elevator.

“Thomas?” Ben croaked from his bed as Thomas entered the room.

“Ben, what the hell happened?” His friend was lying in a hospital bed with his leg propped up on pillows. His face was bruised and he had a neck brace on.

“I don’t know, Thomas,” he mumbled weakly. He was obviously upset. “Everything was fine then suddenly someone slammed into us. I woke up here.”

“Have you seen Teresa?”

“What? No, no. God, I hope she’s okay though.”

“Me too,” Thomas uttered, grasping Ben’s hand in a friendly shake. “Well are you okay?”

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Ben answered tiredly. "Just worry about Teresa."

"Yeah, okay," Thomas shook his head and turned to walk out.

“Thomas?” He turned around and Ben was crying. “I’m a good driver. I would have never done anything to hurt Teresa.”

It was 5:30 am. Thomas had curled up in a waiting room chair with his head on his father’s shoulder and his hand in his mother’s grasp. He was stirred awake by his parents as the doctor walked up.

“Are you the family of Miss Teresa Greene?” he asked. They all nodded, and he closed his eyes. “I’m sorry. We did everything we could, but the internal bleeding was too severe. I am terribly, terribly sorry.”

Thomas’s world came crashing down, a noisy, blurry nothingness. His senses abandoned him and he nearly dropped to the floor. Teresa was dead. His heart broke and tears immediately pierced his eyes. A pain in his chest inhibited his breathing and he began making a hoarse croaking sound. He felt like he was under water and he’d never be able to come up for air again. Teresa was dead.

Teresa. Was. Dead.

\--------------------------------------------

Later that day, Thomas was lying in bed when Newt came to his house. His parents had stayed at the hospital to talk to the police, but he hadn’t been able to take it. He had forgotten about his phone, which was still sitting on the couch. Why was Newt here? He wanted to ask, but then it came to him: his sister was dead. That’s why Newt was here. He rolled over to face the door and Newt entered the room.

“Oh, Tommy,” he sighed, voice cracking. He rushed over and laid on the bed, pulling Thomas into his arms. Thomas tried to be strong – or numb at least – but as his boyfriend rubbed his back, the tears came and they didn’t stop for several hours. Eventually, Thomas drifted to sleep.

When he woke up, it was dark and he was confused. He needed to get to the hospital; Teresa had been in an accident. He bolted downstairs and out onto the street. He was sweating, even though the air had a chill to it. Teresa needed him. He ran faster and made it five blocks before he heard someone calling his name. Turning around, he saw Newt’s skinny figure running after him. What was Newt doing here? Oh, yeah. He had come over after Thomas got back from the hospital. After he found out that Teresa had died in a car accident with Ben. Oh.

Thomas dropped to his knees and allowed Newt to approach. The blond arrived and pulled him up, hauling him back to his house. It was “damn near two in the morning, baby, what are you doing?” The boys got back to the house, where Thomas’s parents were standing on the porch, looking concerned. His mother was crying. Newt dragged him upstairs and undressed him, “oh, you’re drenched.” He put Thomas in a new change of clothes and tucked him back into bed, where he held him until he fell back asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't wait to post this, so here it is. I actually cried a few times while writing this story and this was the first time. I don't know how you guys feel about this, so you can comment if you want! This chapter is very close to my heart due to personal reasons and I really do think I express Thomas's reactions in a valid way. I really, really hope you guys don't hate me and continue reading! It gets better, I promise!  
> I love you guys!


	8. Teresa's Funeral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas struggles at his sister's funeral, but the Gladers are by his side.

Teresa’s funeral was beautiful. There were sunflowers – her favorite – everywhere and large pictures of her on either side of the casket. Thomas and his parents stood to the right of it, so that people could hug them after they looked at her. Thomas’s eyes stayed glued to the floor. He had on the suit he had worn to prom, just with a different tie. Prom seemed so far away now. He couldn’t believe it had actually been an important event for him just over a week ago, when now he was standing at his twin sister’s funeral.

“Thomas,” Alby greeted quietly, awakening Thomas from his thoughts. “How you doing?”

“About as good as I can be doing right now, I guess,” Thomas shrugged. Alby attempted a smile and patted him on the arm. Next was Minho.

“Hey, listen, Greenie, we’re with you today,” the other said sincerely. It was one of the only non-sarcastic things Thomas had ever heard him say.

“Today and every other day,” Frypan added, clapping Thomas on the back. Thomas knew they only wanted to show their support and sympathy, but it didn’t help, because that wouldn’t get Teresa back.

Ben rolled up in a wheelchair and Gally helped him up so he could see Teresa one last time. The boy took one glance and had to look away. Gally helped him back in the chair and he covered his face with his hands, sobbing into his palms. Thomas wasn’t mad at him; it wasn’t his fault and he knew that. They’d found out the day before that it had been a drunk driver. Ben rolled over to him, looking into his eyes.

“Thomas, I am so, so sorry,” he bawled, sniffling pathetically. Thomas knelt down and put his hands on the boy’s shoulders.

“This was not your fault, Ben, I know that,” he forced himself to say. He didn’t want to be in charge of comforting people today. After trying to muster more words, he found himself at a loss and stood back up. Gally gave him an affirming nod and wheeled Ben away.

Newt then walked in. He strode up to the casket, looked down at Teresa, and blew her kiss, a tear falling from his eye as he did so. He was beautiful, resembling an angel, which, Thomas guessed, was an appropriate comparison for the occasion. Newt hugged Thomas’s parents, kissing his mother on the cheek, then walked over to Thomas.

“Hello, love,” he greeted, giving him a peck on the lips. “You doin’ okay?”

“Of course I’m not,” Thomas quietly snapped. He looked over at the casket and he felt his lip quiver. “She’s just laying there. I haven’t even looked at her.”

“She’s gorgeous, Tommy. I’ll go up there with you if that’s what you need.” Thomas nodded and allowed his boyfriend to lead him up to the casket. Newt didn’t take his hand from Thomas’s back as he looked in.

He was right. Teresa was wearing her favorite sundress, white and green with lemons scattered all over it. Her hair was naturally straight and in front of her shoulders. Unfortunately, she had so much makeup caked on her to hide the damage that she almost looked like a doll. She was beautiful, but she wasn’t Teresa. Teresa always smiled.

Thomas’s breath staggered and Newt kept him propped up until they could finally sit down. A pastor stood at the podium above the casket and orated for several minutes until he called Thomas up to give his speech.

He’d tried to prepare for his speech all day the day before, but nothing sounded right. It seemed like he was just trying to please the crowd instead of actually expressing the true entirety of his sister.

“Hello, I’m Thomas Greene, Teresa’s brother,” he began nervously, looking out at the crowd. All the Gladers’ families had come, along with all his parents’ friends. “Erm, I’m not sure what to say here. I can tell you that Teresa’s favorite holiday was Halloween and that her favorite flowers were sunflowers, and I wish that that would cover Teresa. I wish that telling you that she was smiling every second of every day was enough for you to try to understand how truly amazing she was. But it isn’t. She was my best friend in this entire world and I will never love anyone like I loved her.

“Teresa was not one in a million. She is not to be compared to 999,999 other people. Teresa was the single most honest, caring person anyone will have ever met, and that is a simple fact. She loved grand gestures, especially if she were gesturing them. But, like I said before, telling you general facts about her is not enough.

“Teresa helped me discover who I am. She was the only one I had ever had for seventeen years, but then we moved here and I actually made friends, and so did she. We even had the same friends, and it was just – god it was – sorry, Pastor – it was riveting. I discovered myself here and I couldn’t have done it without her. How many sisters do you know that would counsel their brothers, you know? I told her, on the day of our prom, that I was afraid of being so open about my relationship with Newt, and she told me to never be afraid of who I am. She told me that ‘being yourself is the best you, you can be.’ Teresa was unlike any other person on Earth, and now she’s gone. And now I feel incomplete. And I have to cope with that, but I don’t have to do it alone, because she taught me how to be myself.” Thomas ended his speech and quickly made his way back to his seat. Newt kissed him on the cheek and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. His mother leaned over and grabbed his hand, squeezing it a couple times.

“She was so good,” she whispered through her tears.

“She was great.”

About an hour later, they buried Teresa in the cemetery behind the church. Everyone had left except for Thomas, his parents, and the Gladers. They each put a rose on Teresa’s casket. But in the middle of the prayer, the reality of the situation slammed into Thomas and he couldn’t breathe. Newt looked over at him, head still bowed, and tried to silently comfort him, but Thomas shrugged him off.

“No,” he whimpered. “No, nonononono.” He stumbled backward, eyes locked on the lowering casket. “No!” With a final cry, he turned and sprinted away from the crowd. Many of the Gladers began to chase after him, but Newt stopped them. He knew what Thomas needed right now.

Thomas ran, just like he did that night. He dodged cars and avoided people. He turned random corners and allowed the world to blur past without a thought. Then, to his great confusion, he stopped in front of Newt’s house. He knew Newt was back at the church; he ran in anyway. Newt’s mother came out of the kitchen.

“Thomas?” she called, observing the breathless boy. “Sweetie, what are you doing here?”

“I couldn’t do it anymore,” he cried and doubled over. Elizabeth ran over and put her arms around him, leading him to the bathroom. He retched and coughed until his stomach was completely void of food, and still he vomited stomach acid. Afterward, Elizabeth laid him on the couch with a cold rag on his forehead. He had thrown his tuxedo jacket and shirt off in the bathroom, and she took his shoes off.

He had done his best, but he couldn’t pretend that he could handle this anymore. He couldn’t stand there, knowing Teresa was in the ground, knowing that he would never see her again. He had needed to get away; he was exhausted. He watched Elizabeth dab his face with the rag as he drifted off to sleep.

“Tommy?” Thomas shot up to see Newt sitting on the coffee table, staring at him. “You alright? What are you doing here?”

“I – I don’t know. I was just running and I ended up here,” Thomas answered. He sighed and pulled Newt over to him. The blond wrapped Thomas in his arms and kissed the top of his head.

“I’m proud of you, for today.”

“I ran away, Newt.”

“But before that,” Newt defended.

“Before that, you handled it better than I ever could’ve. And your speech was marvelous.” Thomas perked up a little at that.

“You mean that?”

“Definitely. I’m so, so proud of you, sweetheart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't been posting as much  
> A lot of bad things have happened in my personal life in the last few days and I've been very busy  
> I'm sorry for the sad chapter  
> It will get better I promise  
> Love you guyyyyyyyyyys


	9. Graduation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gladers graduate and go to the woods to celebrate

Graduation came quicker than Thomas thought it would. It wasn’t a super exciting event, and he didn’t get the overwhelming sense of relief as he threw his cap into the air like people said he would. He was only disappointed because Teresa wasn’t graduating with him. He was beginning to feel sad, but then Newt grabbed his hand and smiled the biggest smile and Thomas felt a lot better. After pictures and teary hugs from proud mothers, the Gladers ran out of the school and headed for the woods.

It wasn’t decorated, nor were there food or drinks or an atmosphere of extravagance. It was just the woods – sans Teresa. Thomas tried to look past it, but then he noticed everyone else looking around, as if they were lost. None of them had been here since before the accident.

“Damn, I miss that girl,” Frypan sighed. Ben, who was now on crutches, leaned against a tree. He’d been put on antidepressants after the accident and he now attended therapy every week. The rest of the boys just looked at the ground; they all looked so sad. Brenda leaned over and nudged Thomas.

“Hey, listen, Teresa wouldn’t want us to sulk like this after graduation,” he encouraged. Newt gave him a small smile and helped cheer up the friends until they were laughing and partying like usual. Finally, Thomas felt like he could breathe again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a very short chapter and so is the next one, but then that's the end of Part 1 and we will move on to Part 2!!!!  
> I love you guys!


	10. Greenie's World Comes Crashing Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of Part 1. Part 2 will be up soon!

It had been a week since graduation. Thomas was in the best mood he had been since he had lost Teresa and he was walking over to Newt’s house. He hadn’t seen the blond since graduation, so he had to stop himself from running over. He knew he would kiss him as soon as he saw him, and that just made him smile bigger. But something immediately changed his mood.

Newt was hauling suitcases into the back of a taxi as his mom walked out of the house. Newt hadn’t mentioned anything about a vacation, so Thomas was confused.

“Newt? What’s going on?” he asked as he walked up. Newt turned quickly, panic in his eyes.

“Tommy, oh god, what are you doing here?”

“More like where are you going?”

“Listen,” Newt began, grasping Thomas’s hand and leading him away from the taxi and his mother. “Tommy, I’m going to England for the summer.”

“England?” Thomas exclaimed. “You mean with your dad? You said you’d never give him a second chance!”

“It’s more complicated than that.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me? What, were you just going to leave without telling me?”

Newt just stared at him sadly.

“Newt, you’re the closest thing I have left.”

“I’ve talked to the Gladers and they said they’ll be with you all the time.”

“I don’t want the Gladers,” Thomas choked. “I want you.”

“Thomas, I’m so sorry about this,” Newt’s mother said from the backseat of the taxi. “But we really must go. I’m so sorry, darling.”

“I love you, Tommy,” Newt whispered, kissing Thomas deeply. “I’ll be back at the end of the summer, okay? I promise.”

With that, Newt jumped into the taxi with his mom and sped off.

Thomas’s heart was broken. What the hell had just happened? He had woken up that morning in such a great mood, and now he was as lost as he had been when Teresa died. Tears ran over his cheeks and he sprinted home. His mother was sitting on the couch when he barged in.

“Hey, honey, what’s wrong?” she asked worriedly. That was when Thomas broke. He slumped down on the couch and sobbed into his mother’s shoulder while she patted his back and attempted to shush him. All the while, Newt’s words were echoing in his head.

“I’ll be back at the end of the summer, okay? I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was the end of Part 1 and it is very sad, I know.  
> But Part 2 will be much better I prommise  
> Love you guys

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked the beginning!  
> I already have the whole story done, I just need to post it chapter by chapter. There will be two parts and there are ten chapters in part 1. I am so excited about this and I have worked so hard to make it perfect. Don't worry, there is SO much more to come and I hope you enjoy every bit of it!


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